Reply #57: Wow! This is practically a war here on this thread.

[freethought]

I will give my 2 cents on the NJ bear hunt. Keep in mind I am hunter myself, take from that what you will.
I have never personally hunted bear. As I have heard from others, they describe it as 'tedious'. I also don't hunt with the intent of bagging a trophy for my wall. If I take an animal it is with the intent that it will be used, meat eaten, hides sold and tanned, etc...

If certain controls are to be kept on wildlife populations, a regulated hunt is the best way. As far as bear are concerned any talk of relocation or 'birth control' is nonsense. Relocation does not work and birth control is not feasible and too expensive. Sorry, but state governments are not going to put forward large amounts of cash to bear birth control.

It is very easy to be taken in by the image of a cute little bear cub. When that cub grows into a 500 pound animal that raids your trash, damages crops and property, opinions can change really fast. Trust me on that note.

It is very easy for some to wish for a return to pristine ecosystems. I think that is misguided. For even in the most undisturbed and pristine ecosystems the predator/prey, eat-and-be-eaten, hunter/hunted are going to play out. That is just the way nature works.

It is sort of unfortunate that the situation in NJ has to be handled in this particular way. In the absence of natural population checks there just aren't any usable alternatives.